Electric connecting device.



H. C. WIRT. ELECTRIC consume nnvxcn.

Patented Nov. 22,

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

0F SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC CONNECTING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT (l. WIRT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricConnecting Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification. y Thisinvention relates to connecting devices for electric apparatus and moreespecially to connecting devices for joining the ends of conductorwiresto the contacts of cut-out apparatus.

It is customary to provide the ends of conductors, and especially'thosecomposed of a plurality of strands; with solid metal terminals havingrecesses therein in which the wires are sweated or soldered so as toeffect good electrical contact between conductor and terminal, and theterminals are detachably clamped to the metallic parts to which theelectric current is conducted. In cut- Out devices it has been the usualpractice to connect the conductor terminals to the near sides of thecontact clips and allow more or less of the conductor terminals tooverhang the outer ed es of the insulating bases of thecut-out evices.This arrangement is objectionable on account of the lack of protectionof the wall or other support on which the insulating base is mountedfrom arcs which are liable to spring fi'om'the unprotected portions ofthe terminals. It has been proposed to lengthen the present forms ofinsulating bases so that they will underlie all exposed metallic partsconnected thereto, but such enlarged bases are objectionable both onaccount of the greater cost and the greater space occupiedthereby.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and easilyapplied connection which shall avoid the objections above 1 mentioned. e

' In carrying out my invention I employ practically without cliange'theforms and sizes of bases heretofore in use and mount the metalliccontact members thereon in reverse positions to which they have beenmounted, that is, with their binding posts or clamping means on the farsides or the sides opposite to those from which the conductors approachthe contact, and I make the conductor terminalsfwith long shanks so thatthey extend through the contact members sufiiciently to be engaged bythe clamping 'dinally thereof with Serial No. 314,186.

means, while their enlarged conductor-em gaging portions are disposed inproximity to the near sides of the metallic contact members and therebysave the space between the contact members and the ends of the conductor.ends heretofore taken up by the clamping means.

My invention as applied to a fuse block is shown in the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure '1 is atop plan ofra twin fuse block; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof withpart in section; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 83 ofFig. 1. i

The fuse block shown consists of a base 1 of porcelain or otherinsulating material and three integral barriers 2 extendinglongitubetween them in which the cut-out members are normally disposed.Extending centrally through the base portion are two holes 3 for thereception of screws for securing the block to its support, and near eachend of the base portion are formed transverse recesses L in whicharesecured spring contacts 5 by means of screws 6 extending through holesformed in the base. The contacts are made of sheet metal with theiropposite ends 7 bent trough shaped spaces up as shown to provide a widefoot section 8 and a V-shaped opening thereabove, and from the vertex ofthe opening they extend parallel to each other so that good contactsurface is provided for engaging the sides of the blades of the fusecut-outs when forced therebetween. Extending through each of theV-shaped openings in the clips is a'flat metal bar 9 which rests uponthe upper surface of the foot part of the clip and has tapped holes withwhich the screws 6 engage and thereby clamp the clip to the uppersurface of the base. One end of the clamping bar 9 extends beyond theedge of the clip 5 toward the center ofjthe block and has therein atapped hole for the reception of a binding screw 10 by means of whichthe conductor terminal 11 is attached. The terminal 11 consists of atubular wire receiving end portion 12 and a fiat shank 13 integraltherethe V-shaped opening in the contact clip into position to beengaged by the binding screw 10. The sliank13 is preferably offset fromthe axis of the tubular end portion so that the lower surface is in linewith an element of the cylinder and thereby allows the termi with and ofsufficient length to pass through nal to be connected to the cut-outblock without interfering with the upper surface of the base 1.

I do not desire to restrict myself to the particular form or arrangementof parts herein shown and described, since it is apparent that they maybe changed and modied Without departing from my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is 1. The combination of a metallic contact clip, of a terminalconnector provided at one end with wire engaging means and extending atthe other end into the space between the arms of the contact clip, andmeans for detachably securing said connector to said clip. 2. Thecombination with a metallic contact, of a binding device projecting fromone side thereof, and a terminal connector provided at one end withwire-engaging means and at the other end with means for engaging thebinding device and of a length to extend across said contact so that thewire-engaging portion and the binding means will be disposed uponopposite sides thereof.

3. The combination of a metallic contact having a broad foot portion anda transverse opening, a terminal connector having wireengaging means atone end and an integral shank extending through said transverse opening,and means for detachably'connecting said contact andsaid connector onthe side of the contact opposite the said wireengag'ing means.

t. The combination of an insulating base, a metallic contact comprisinga broad foot portion and two end portions bent up therefrom, a barclamped over said foot portion by screws extending through the'base andhaving a binding screw in one end beyond the side of the contact, and aterminal connector having at one end wire-engaging means and a shankextending between the end portions of the contact and engaging saidbinding screw.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of April,1906.

HERBERT C. WIRT.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onronn.

